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Brett McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast.

Well, there's nothing like the warmth and comfort of a glowing fire, especially this time of year.

What is it about making and warming ourselves with a wood burning flame that's so satisfying?

And how can we better master the art of fire making?

Well, my guest today has published a book that's become a cult classic in Scandinavia,

and it's all about wood and fire. His name is Lars Mitine in his book is Norwegian Wood,

chopping, stacking, and drying wood, Scandinavian way. And today on the show, Lars and I discuss

the pleasures of preparing wood for fire. And why fire wood is an important part of a man's

identity in Scandinavian countries. And then we get into the practicalities of making just a warm

fire. We talk about the best kind of wood for fires, how to fell trees for fire wood,

how to season your wood for optimal fire building, and the best time to split wood. And then we talk

about how to build a fire, the Scandinavian way that will just burn clean and hot for you.

This show is both philosophical and practical, and it will leave you wanting to build the best

fireplace fire of your life when you're done listening. After the show's over, check out the

show notes at awm.is slash wood, where you find links to resources where you can delve deeper

in this topic, as well as learn how to build a Scandinavian fire.

So you're the author of a book that I really enjoyed reading. It's Norwegian Wood. It's all about

fire wood and the importance of firewood in Scandinavian culture. And I remember hearing on an

interview, did somewhere else that this was a book that almost didn't get published, but it's

become this big bestseller in Scandinavia. Why do you think a book about fire wood? Something so

simple has resonated with so many people. Well, I think the key to it is that it essentially is

...